MISCELLANEOUS NOTES. 281 
proximity and betrays it by keeping up an incessant twitter, It is amusing 
to watch the passages at arms which take place between this little bird and 
the Yellow-fronted Pied Woodpecker and Coppersmith: the latter exca- 
vate their own nest-holes, which the sparrow promptly endeavours to appro- 
priate : my experience has been that the lawful owners usually manage to rear’ 
their own brood, but that as soon as they vacate, master sparrow steps in and 
fills the hole up with feathers, Their nests seem to consist of hands full of 
feathers of all descriptions,and are very soft and snug buta trifle warm, I have 
found the hen a very close sitter ; on cutting open nests, she will not move but 
crouches down and sulks away, A pair of these birds diddled me completely 
the other day. I happened to be stopping at a Dak Bungalow a short time 
back, and noticed a pair carrying feathers toa nest in the roof, As soon as I 
thought the eggs had been laid (about a week after), I opened the nest by 
removing the tiles, when [ found there was a chick and two hard-set eggs. 
THE Inpian Biack Rosin: (Thamnobia fulicata),—My little friend, men- 
tioned at page 778, Part 4, Vol. XII of this Journal, returned to his kero- 
sine tin again this year, I found the old nest repaired, with two eggs in it 
on the 8rd March. Though the young were hatched, they came to an untimely 
end. I hope they will have another try. 
THe Common Piep Busy Cuat (Pratincola caprata) more or less replaces 
the Indian Black Robin, a near ally, in the Southern Mahratta Country , where 
I have obtained several clutches of eggs this year. The nest is placed on the 
ground in a crevice, in a hole, under a rock, or concealed in the roots of a tree. 
The cock usually does sentry duty in close proximity to the nest, perched ona 
shrub or rock, On seeing you approach, he uttersa warning whistle to his 
mate, and very soon she puts in anappearance looking most unconcerned. The 
pair will then hop about or fly from one shrub to another or pretend to feed : 
if you will have a little patience and watch her from some coign of vantage, 
she will soon diselose the whereabouts of her nest by returning to it, Four 
would seem to be the full complement of eggs. 
THE Inpian RED Muwnia (Sporeginthus amandava).—In my last notes 
I spoke about the breeding of this little bird near Poona, I continued 
my observations after they were written. The colony of 20 odd pairs seemed 
to gradually dwindle away till finally only two or tbree were left, these 
persevered with their domestic duties and deserved success; they seem to 
possess any quantity of enemies as is testified by the casualties among them. 
I found the birds fairly common round here, and that they were nesting in 
Sugarcane and grass along the canal, Six eggs seem to be the complement, 
THe Larce Piep Wactait (Motacilla maderasapatensis) is very common 
on the river, He is a cheerful little fellow and jerks and runs about catching 
flies and insects along the water’s edge, stopping every now and then to pipe 
his little lay, On the 5th March, I saw a pair building, and, on watching 
others, very soon discovered that the whole community were marrying and 
